Supporting White Nationalism Would Be Self-Destructive, An Act Of Self-Immolation
By Wajahat Ali
Nov. 19,
2020
Seventy-three
million Americans voted for Donald Trump. He doubled down on all his worst
vices, and he was rewarded for it with 10 million more votes than he received
in 2016.
Photo: New York Times
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The
majority of people of colour rejected his cruelty and vulgarity. But along with
others who voted for Joe Biden, we are now being lectured by a chorus of voices
including Pete Buttigieg and Ian Bremmer, to “reach out” to Trump voters and
“empathize” with their pain.
This is the
same advice that was given after Mr. Trump’s 2016 victory, and for nearly four
years, I attempted to take it. Believe me, it’s not worth it.
The Quran
asks Muslims to respond to disagreements and arguments “in a better way” and to
“repel evil with good.” I tried. “You might not like me, and I might not like
you, but we share the same real estate. So, here’s me reaching out across the
aisle. American to American,” I said in a video message to Trump supporters
published the day after the election.
I really
thought it might work. Growing up, I often talked about my Islamic faith with
my non-Muslim friends, and I like to think that might have helped to inoculate
them from the Islamophobic propaganda and conspiracy theories that later became
popular. So I assumed I could win over some Trump supporters whose frustrations
and grievances had been manipulated by those intent on seeing people like me as
invaders intent on replacing them.
So in late
2016, I told my speaking agency to book me for events in the states where Mr.
Trump won. I wanted to talk to the people the media calls “real Americans” from
the “heartland” — which is of course America’s synonym for white people, Mr.
Trump’s most fervent base. Over the next four years I gave more than a dozen
talks to universities, companies and a variety of faith-based communities.
My standard
speech was about how to “build a multicultural coalition of the willing.” My
message was that diverse communities, including white Trump supporters, could
work together to create a future where all of our children would have an equal
shot at the American dream. I assured the audiences that I was not their enemy.
I reminded
them that those who are now considered white, such as Irish Catholics, Eastern
European Jews, Greeks and Italians, were once the bogey-man. I warned them that
supporting white nationalism and Mr. Trump, in particular, would be
self-destructive, an act of self-immolation, that will neither help their
families or America become great again.
And I
listened. Those in the audience who supported Mr. Trump came up to me and
assured me they weren’t racist. They often said they’d enjoyed the talk, if not
my politics. Still, not one told me they’d wavered in their support for him.
Instead, they repeated conspiracy theories and Fox News talking points about
“crooked Hillary.” Others made comments like: “You’re a good, moderate Muslim.
How come others aren’t like you?”
In Ohio, I
spent 90 minutes on a drive to the airport with a retired Trump supporter. We
were cordial to each other, we made jokes and we shared stories about our
families. But neither of us changed our outlook. “They’ll never take my guns.
Ever,” he told me, explaining that his Facebook feed was filled with articles
about how Mrs. Clinton and Democrats would kill the Second Amendment and steal
his guns. Although he didn’t like some of Mr. Trump’s “tone” and comments, he
didn’t believe he was a racist “in his heart.” I’m not a cardiologist, so I
wasn’t qualified to challenge that.
In 2017, I
was invited by the Aspen Institute — which hosts a festival known for
attracting the wealthy and powerful — to discuss racism in America. At a
private dinner after the event, I was introduced to a donor who I learned was a
Trump supporter. As soon as I said “white privilege,” she began shooting me
passive-aggressive quips about the virtues of meritocracy and hard work. She
recommended I read “Hillbilly Elegy” — the best-selling book that has been
criticized by those living in Appalachia as glorified poverty porn promoting
simplistic stereotypes about a diverse region.
I’ve even
tried and failed to have productive conversations with Muslims who voted for
Mr. Trump. Some love him for the tax cuts. Others listen only to Fox News, say
“both sides” are the same, or believe he hasn’t bombed Muslim countries.
(They’re wrong.) Many believe they are the “good immigrants,” as they chase
whiteness and run away from Blackness, all the way to the suburbs. I can’t make
people realize they have Black and brown skin and will never be accepted as
white.
I did my
part. What was my reward? Listening to Mr. Trump’s base chant, “Send her back!”
in reference to Representative Ilhan Omar, a Black Muslim woman, who came to
America as a refugee. I saw the Republican Party transform the McCloskeys into
victims, even though the wealthy St. Louis couple illegally brandished firearms
against peaceful B.L.M. protesters. Their bellicosity was rewarded with a prime
time slot at the Republican National Convention where they warned about “chaos”
in the suburbs being invaded by people of color. Their speech would have fit
well in “The Birth of a Nation."
We cannot
help people who refuse to help themselves. Mr. Trump is an extension of their
id, their culture, their values, their greed. He is their defender and saviour.
He is their blunt instrument. He is their destructive drug of choice.
Don’t waste
your time reaching out to Trump voters as I did. Instead, invest your time
organizing your community, registering new voters and supporting candidates who
reflect progressive values that uplift everyone, not just those who wear MAGA
hats, in local and state elections. Work also to protect Americans against lies
and conspiracy theories churned out by the right-wing media and political
ecosystem. One step would be to continue pressuring social media giants like
Twitter and Facebook to de-platform hatemongers, such as Steve Bannon, and
censor disinformation. It’s not enough, but it’s a start.
Or, you can
just watch “The Queen’s Gambit” on Netflix while downing your favourite pint of
ice cream and call it a day.
Just as in
2016, I don’t need Trump supporters to be humiliated to feel great again. I
want them to have health insurance, decent-paying jobs and security for their
family. I do not want them to suffer, but I also refuse to spend any more time
trying to understand and help the architects of my oppression.
I will move
forward along with the majority who want progress, equality and justice for all
Americans. If Trump supporters decide they want the same, they can always reach
out to me. They know where to find me. Ahead of them.
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Wajahat Ali is a playwright, lawyer and
contributing opinion writer.
Original Headline: ‘Reach Out to Trump
Supporters,’ They Said. I Tried.
Source: The New York Times
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